Though perhaps best known for her eight-year tenure as a member of the platinum-selling band Spirit of the West, recent BC Entertainment Hall of Fame Inductee Linda McRae had already raised a daughter and performed for more than ten years with west coast punk and roots outfits before joining Spirit.
Performing on banjo, guitar and accordion, her warm and world-weary voice, unforgettable melodies and thought-provoking lyrics make McRae a captivating and sought-after artist. Promoter Fernando Pinto says, “One song breaks your heart, the next one puts it back together.”
In 2006, McRae found love and much more with James Whitmire, a retired American rancher who had recently discovered his voice as a poet. Whitmire became her manager, collaborator, and constant source of moral support while she’s out on the road. A recovered addict, who’s been clean for more than 28 years, Whitmire has life experience that many incarcerated individuals and at-risk youth relate to, and that has helped the couple build trusting connections through their therapeutic Express Yourself Writing Workshops, currently being presented in detox centres, alternative schools, and youth and adult correctional facilities across North America. McRae’s new, Steve Dawson-produced album, Shadow Trails, is inspired by that work.